The Fulbright Institute of International Relations is dedicated to the scholarly examination of important international topics and to fostering international exchanges of students and faculty. It conducts annual conferences, frequently in collaboration with other university-based programs or with foreign universities and research organizations. The Institute also houses of the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange, which administers opportunities for study, research and travel outside of the U.S. for students and faculty.

The Institute’s efforts are inspired by Senator Fulbright’s life-long dedication to international affairs and his conception of education as “the teaching of things in perspective, toward the purposes of enriching the life of the individual, cultivating the free and inquiring mind, and advancing efforts to bring reason, justice, and humanity into the relation of men and nations.”

The Institute Director is Donald R. Kelley, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Russian Studies Program. The Associate Director is Todd Shields, Chair of the Department of Political Science and Director of the Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society. DeDe Long serves as Director of Study Abroad and International Exchange.